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(Golf GTE looking favourite)
Why not the BMW 330e then? Its a plug in hybrid, more power, better range, better drive etc etc. Just note though that current waiting time is 9 months approx !
I only get car envy over fast estates (diesel passat driver here) and nice vans.
In an ideal world I'd have a standard STW issue T5 kombi and a small fast hatch like a fiesta st or a clio 197
I used to be a car dick but now I'm much more pragmatic. It's a bang for buck thing. I have a sedate estate with around 100hp which is nice.
But for kicks I have a bike with around the same, delivered in a far more exciting fashion.
Properly fast car is a rich man's game. My bike will do 0-60in about 3 seconds it'd cost me about 25 times what I paid for it for a car to do the same.
[quote=FunkyDunc ]Freeagent - Not entirely convinced by that. If you choose wisely you can get nice cars for the same price as a Passat/Mondeo etc.
I currently have a BMW 3 Series and its costing me less than it would do for a Passat/Mondeo.
Why do people always compare a 3 series with a Mondeo, when they're more the size of a Focus?
You must be thinking 3 series of old. Granted current 3 series isn't quite as big as Mondeo, but it's way bigger than Focus/Audi A3
Van envy. I get van envy these days.
Cars...do me a favour.
I was going to post a "you sure about that Funky? it doesn't seem right to me" kind of post. But, uh, I spent ages compiling this instead.You must be thinking 3 series of old. Granted current 3 series isn't quite as big as Mondeo, but it's way bigger than Focus/Audi A3
All with seats folded flat, in ascending order:
Audi A3 Sportback (Not really an estate) 1220 litres
Golf Estate 1270
BMW E91 3 series 1385
Current 3 series (F31) 1500
Current Focus estate 1518
5 series estate 1670
Mondeo estate 1680 (the older one was bigger apparently)
Octavia estate 1740
Van envy. I get van envy these days
Me too. Love my T5 but really wish I still had my aircooled T25, which was easily both the best and worst vehicle I've ever had.
[quote=FunkyDunc ]You must be thinking 3 series of old. Granted current 3 series isn't quite as big as Mondeo, but it's way bigger than Focus/Audi A3
Well there we go again - Superficial has posted the stats, but you can't really compare an A3 with a Focus either. As shown by his figures a Mondeo is 5 series size.
BMW E91
See that one is a lot smaller than the latest series after 2012.
Besides which I wasn't talking about folded down seats, I'm talking about cabin size and space.
Well, I had a go in the S5. And was disappointed TBH.
Its ok in the front, but cramped in the back. The leather doesn't have quite as a "soft" feel as BMW's and it doesn't have a "leather smell".
Then for a 337bhp car it was quick but didn't feel it from the inside. The auto box didn't feel dynamic, the noise was a angry wasp rasp rather then a burble, and well, what more could I say? The ride was fidgety as well, different but no better than BMW's MSport setup. It just felt like a car you could point in straight line and show off to people and then be underwhelmed later.
Maybe I've got used to a highish torque diesel and prefer the "shove" but I'm glad I haven't invested in one.
Fortunately my new "leather smell" air freshener has arrived so I can enjoy my engine and the pretense of a leather interior for the meantime.
Argh, I'm guessing there's a lot of people like me. I love cars - my dream is a 911, so I'm jealous of the earlier poster - but I'm just too tight to spend the cash, especially in a world of speed cameras, other 'bad' drivers and kids that trash anything you own. Would love something fun, but unless I could buy it outright and honestly not be too worried about it, then it's not happening. On that basis, my 25 year old Scirroco was my best car.
I think this is quite often the case with fast saloon cars. unbelievably rapid for a 4 seat family car however, they simply don't excite. Audi's are particularly 'bad' at this. Maybe they are just too good / competent to be fun?
The 911 was always (from a small boy) my dream car. I recently drove a Carrera 4S. Absolutely gutted - I didn't really like it. Maybe if I had the bottle to cane it down a b road, it would have been brilliant however down the A34 it just wasn't
Ho humm, back to the diesel hatchback!
Tend to agree Kryton. I test drove an S4 with the same engine (supercharged V6 not the new turbo) albeit with a manual 'box and it was fairly rapid but just didn't excite.. I ended up going for an M135 with correct wheel drive for bigger smiles!
I bought an RS5 about 3 months ago... Amazingly fast, very nice, but thinking about selling it already. Not sure why I need it, in the end.
I prefer driving the Mazda and when the lease expires on mine next year I am buying a couple of years old hack car (I'd prefer to get a Mondeo estate, [b]my wife fancies a Qashqui +2)[/b].
Get the diesel with the manual 'box. I drove a 115ps petrol auto yesterday, and it was like driving my 110ps Octy 1.9TDi when it used to go into limp mode. Any get-up-and-go got up early and went a long time ago!
A bit uncertain through bendy roads, too, but the seats are marvellous, they really hug you close, some of the best I've driven in/on.
The Vauxhall Mokka is a much, much nicer car to drive, similar size, but the steering is lovely and light and responsive, and it feels very sure-footed on windy up-and-down A-roads.
Much nicer looking than the Qashqai, too, IMHO.
I thought the Vauxhall Mokka was one of the worst cars I've been in! I was a passenger, but the driver thought the same. It was a wee while ago now, and my memory is a bit vague on all its bad points, but I remember it being extremely noisy and uncomfortable. Afterwards, I looked up some owners' reviews online, and many criticised exactly the same points we'd raised. I remember one guy saying he'd chosen one as a company car, and had to plead with his HR department for permission to change it for something else, as there was no way he could continue driving it!
Have got a 64 plate Mazda 3 and love it, spent more on it than I should have.
Thing is I don't really worry about other cars, def. suffer van envy and bike envy though.
I thought the Vauxhall Mokka was one of the worst cars I've been in! I was a passenger, but the driver thought the same. It was a wee while ago now, and my memory is a bit vague on all its bad points, but I remember it being extremely noisy and uncomfortable. Afterwards, I looked up some owners' reviews online, and many criticised exactly the same points we'd raised. I remember one guy saying he'd chosen one as a company car, and had to plead with his HR department for permission to change it for something else, as there was no way he could continue driving it!
I actually had a look online, and the Top Gear review said the same, but added that Vauxhall were rushing through an upgrade, which makes me think the more recent models have been significantly improved; certainly the one I drove Friday was very pleasant for the fifty miles or so I was in it, although the seats didn't hug you like the Qashqai seats did.
The Qashqai only had around 20k on the clock, but I really wasn't impressed, whereas the Mokka was quite easy to hustle along on some fairly windy roads between Yeovil and Bristol.
I can certainly see why people like them, you get a great view of everything sat up that bit higher.
Clearly long-ish test drives are very much in order.
The diesel manual Qashqai would probably be a whole lot different, mind, but the handling was still a bit 'wallowing' and soft, I didn't feel comfortable on the twisty bits.
I'm no SmurfMat, mind, I drive a Skoda!
Anyway, going back to car envy, I did feel a real pang when I saw this parked in Bath this afternoon:
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[IMG] 
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Yummy!
In the real world of cars that you could actually afford to run, I really, really want one of these:
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Not the sort of car likely to get the usual suspects doing the whole finger-wagging thing.
There's some nonsense being spouted on this thread. An S-line A4 is not comparable to an RS4. I had one and it was flippin mint until it was nicked. Got an M6 now that spun a shell after 150 miles and lunched the engine. I'd have another rs in a heartbeat, I'll never buy another bmw again.
I had a sit in a Dacia Logan today, onlu went to have a look to kill the idea off of getting one to replace the current leased focus. It was surprisingly decent, going to test one next weekend and may well get a top o the range one for the price of a 3 year old focus zetec
Flange was that a brand new M6?
Maybe I've got used to a highish torque diesel and prefer the "shove" but I'm glad I haven't invested in one.
was that a 7 sec shove or 9 sec shove...
🙂
Final word on Audi's from the GSElevator
"Driving an Audi says you have some money, but nothing interesting to say.”
I think this is quite often the case with fast saloon cars. unbelievably rapid for a 4 seat family car however, they simply don't excite. Audi's are particularly 'bad' at this. Maybe they are just too good / competent to be fun?
Depends - the B6 RS4 was a great car and one that got rav reviews for how it drove. I spent some time driving one and thought it was brilliant; alright the bucket seats ate up some of the rear leg room and it wasn't that big for an estate but it was a great car to drive and made a fabulous noise.
The same person then changed it for a C6 RS6 (V10) which he didn't have as long and I don't think he loved it that much deep down. It was hugely fast and very. very impressive but once you got past this, it was a tad dull. The engine / exhaust noise was far too muted, sport mode was unbearable because it ruined the ride and as soon as you hit the brakes / got to a corner you were reminded that it weighed 2 tonnes.
I had a B7 RS4 Avant which was in my view the finest performance car I have had - list includes 993 Targa, 993 Turbo, WRXs, M3 so I've had a few decent cars in the past. It drove so well, was properly quick and you could get bikes on the back (I had a towbar on mine !)
I tried the new one when it came out but I dislike the S-tronic box so that rules them out. I keep trying them but just cannot get on with them, PDK I could almost live with. Anyhoo despite being in the market for a fast small car I still drive my T5 van every day ! RS6 was just nuts, as you say its very fast but it a)massive abd b) incredibly thirsty - I got offered a work lease one for < £500 a month !
Out of all the cars I have driven none were as good or as much fun as the Vans I have had. Mini 1000cc van stock engine 48 Bhp but uprated metro 4 pot brakes and adjustable suspension with negative camber arms. Nothing I have had since could carry as much speed through a bendy section of B road without braking. For Mtbing Scudo van JTD. Surprisingly reliable and very capable. Two sliding side doors bulkhead and panelled out inside.
IMO I don't want car to be "interesting to drive" on longer trips. 10hr trips are normal for us and q Audis are very good for those, especially in the winter.
Haven't had any long term experience with BMWs but have test driven last two generations of 3-series, x1 and 2-series tourers and while the fun factor is higher on beemers it is not enough.
Someone I know has had an R8, few Porche's, M3\s etc, and he says the RS3 is the best car hes owned from an excitement/joy of driving POV. I really want one.
I'll either upgrade my Scirocco GT to a R or an S3
IMO I don't want car to be "interesting to drive" on longer trips. 10hr trips are normal for us and q Audis are very good for those, especially in the winter.
This! That's the point that most miss when they decry a fast saloon as being 'dull' it's about effortless, cross continent style driving. Not worrying about an overtake or cruising speed. With no vibration, wind noise etc with an engine that's just purring along.
That's what the RS5 etc are about - not going sideways around the topgear track.
However, that's not the same as having car envy is it? I absolutely have car envy every time I step out of South Kensington tube and pass Lamborghini London and see a Hurrican. Wouldn't want to commute in in mind!
I'm currently lusting after a 640d. I'm so middle aged.
was driving up M74 yesterday after a morning ride at Drumlanrig and saw a blistering procession go by at well over 100. a new six series, an Audi A7 and an RS8, all tight on each others tails and weaving across the lanes... Boy racing with big toys !
Was sooo hoping to see some flashing blue lights, but not unfortunately .... 🙂